Conservation Documentation in Research Libraries

Laura McCann

doi:10.5860/lrts.57n1.30

Authors

Laura McCann

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5860/lrts.57n1.30

Abstract

Conservation professionals are ethically bound to produce and preserve conservation documentation. The research described in this paper investigates conservation documentation methods and practice in academic research libraries. The author conducted a literature review and developed and implemented a survey to both record current conservation documentation practices and to assess the potential use of the MARC 21 field 583 (Action Note) for recording, accessing, and preserving conservation documentation. Bound materials, in particular special collection materials, are the primary focus of the survey. The survey and follow-up interview responses support integrating conservation documentation into the MARC 21 field 583. Methods of doing so are presented and discussed.

References

() American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC), “Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice,” accessed July 31, 2012, n () Jackie M Dooley and Katherine Luce,

Taking Our Pulse: The OCLC Research Survey of Special Collections and Archives

(Dublin, OH: OCLC Research, 2010) accessed July 31, 2012, n '“Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.”' n 'Commentaries to the Guidelines for Practice, “Commentary 24 – Documentation,”' accessed July 31, 2012, n () AIC, Commentaries to the Guidelines for Practice, “Commentary 24—Documentation,” accessed July 31, 2012, nAIC, Commentaries to the Guidelines for Practice, “Commentary 28—Preservation of Documentation.”nJeffrey Warda, ed.,

The AIC Guide to Digital Photography and Conservation Documentation

(Washington DC: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2008).nAIC, Commentaries to the Guidelines for Practice, “Commentary 28—Preservation of Documentationn () The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,

Issues in Conservation Documentation: Digital Formats, Institutional Priorities, and Public Access: New York: Edited Transcript of the Meeting

(meeting held under the auspices of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on April 27, 2006), accessed July 31, 2012, n () Ashok Roy, Susan Foister and Angelica Rudenstine, “Conservation Documentation in Digital Form: A Continuing Dialogue about the Issues,”

Studies in Conservation

(2007): 315–17; Angelica Rudenstine and Timothy P. Whalen, “Issues in Conservation Documentation: A Dialogue about the Issues,”

Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter

, no. 2 (Summer 2006), accessed July 31, 2012, nRudenstine and Whalen, “Issues in Conservation Documentation.”n'British Museum' (): accessed July 31, 2012, www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/about_the_database.aspxnThe Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,

Issues in Conservation Documentation: New York;

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,

Issues in Conservation Documentation: LondonnThe Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,

Issues in Conservation Documentation: New York

, 18nGeorge Cunha and Dorothy Grant Cunha,

Conservation of Library Materials: A Manual and Bibliography on the Care, Repair, and Restoration of Library Materials, Volume 1

(Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1971): 144nJohn P. Baker and Marguerite C. Soroka,

Library Conservation: Preservation in Perspective

(Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, 1978).nPaul N. Banks,

A Selective Bibliography on the Conservation of Research Library Materials

(Chicago: Newberry Library, 1981)nRichard D Buck, '“Describing the Condition of Art Objects,”' Museum News 56 6 (1978): 29-33nRobert Hauser, '“Examination: Forms and Methods,”' Bulletin of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works 15 1 (1974): 45-47nD G Vaisey, '“Recording Conservation Treatment,”' Journal of the Society of Archivists 6 (1978): 94-96nCarolyn Clark Morrow,

Conservation Treatment Procedures: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Maintenance and Repair of Library Materials

(Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1982); Hedi Kyle,

Library Materials Preservation Manual: Practical Methods for Preserving Books, Pamphlets and Other Printed Materials

(Bronxville, NY: Nicholas T. Smith, 1983).nBarbara Appelbaum, Conservation Treatment Methodology (Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann 2007): 146-nWhitney Baker, '“The Hybrid Conservator: An Overview of Challenges in a Research Library Environment,”' Library Resources & Technical Services 48 3 (2004): 179-90nJan Merrill-Oldham, Nancy Schrock, '“The Conservation of General Collections,”

in Preservation Issues and Planning

' ed. Paul Banks and Roberta Pilette, 225-47(Chicago:ALA, 2000).nIbid., 234–35nJohn N. DePew,

A Library, Media, and Archival Preservation Handbook

(Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1991).nJohn DePew, “Binding and In-House Repair,” in

A Library, Media, and Archival Preservation Handbook

, 134nWhitney Baker, Liz Dube, '“Identifying Standard Practices in Research Library Book Conservation,”' Library Resources & Technical Services 54 4 (2010): 21-39nEleanore Stewart, '“Special Collections Conservation,” in

Preservation Issues and Planning

' ed. Paul Banks and Roberta Pilette, 285-306 (Chicago: ALA,2000)nMario Aleppo, '“160 Years of Conservation Documentation at the National Archives UK,”' Paper Conservator 27 (2003): 97-99nPatricia Brennan, Jutta Reed-Scott, Automating Preservation Management in ARL Libraries, SPEC Kit no. 198 (Washington DC: ARL Office of Management Services 1993)nWalter Henry, “Application Development for the Conservation Laboratory,” in

Advances in Preservation and Access

ed. Barbara Higginbotham,156-79 (Medford, NJ:Learned Information 1995).nJim Hinz, Babette Gehnrich, '“Documenting Library Conservation Treatments: Using the 583 Action Note Field in the MARC Records,”' Book and Paper Group Annual 25 (2006): 59-64nIbid., 57nHinz and Gehnrich, “Documenting Library Conservation Treatments.”nAppelbaum,

Conservation Treatment Methodology

, 415nHinz and Gehnrich, “Documenting Library Conservation Treatments,” 57; Library of Congress Network Development and MARC Standards Office,

Preservation & Digitization Actions: Terminology for MARC 21 Field 583

(Washington DC: Library of Congress, 2004), accessed July 31, 2012, www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/pda.pdfn Standard Terminology for the MARC 21 Actions Note Field (Washington DC: Library of Congress 1988) accessed July 31, 2012, nLibrary of Congress Network Development and MARC Standards Office,